1. Field of the Invention
Conventional rifles employ a construction that includes an action coupled to a barrel and the combination is fitted to a stock. The action and barrel are usually metal parts whereas the stock is usually made of wood, plastic or other synthetic material. When firing the rifle, the user grips the stock, and when the firearm is fired, recoil is transmitted from the barreled action to the stock. Screws that are used to secure the action to stock extend perpendicularly to the direction of recoil forces. These joining members in combination with an imperfect bedding surface (i.e., imperfect mating of barreled action and stock) can cause the action to tilt, cock or be placed in a bind with respect to the stock and this affects the accuracy of the firearm. The fit of the stock and action also affects vibration. For example, most actions include a recoil lug, which is a downwardly extending flange that rests within a notch in the stock. The above-mentioned screws hold these pieces together. Connections between the action and the stock may result in cocking or misalignment because the joining surfaces do not always mate correctly when using conventional screws and a recoil lug. The stock/action interface may be inherently unstable if mating surfaces are uneven or if there are gaps, which can result in misalignment. Alignment is critical because the user always aims the firearm in the same manner, but if the action changes position relative to the stock during firing, prior zeroing of the rifle is rendered ineffective.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
In the past, it has been proposed that metal pieces could be used in the stock to connect to the action and the barrel. Such a construction is shown in Dye (U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,885) and in Clerke (U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,003). The rifle constructions shown in these patents partially alleviate the problem but still fail to create a stable interface between the action and the stock.